


What's In a Name

by fandomshere_fandomsthere



Category: Game Grumps
Genre: Angst, F/M, M/M, Mild Sexual Content, Multi, Polyamory, Soulmate AU, happy ending though I promise
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-04
Updated: 2016-11-04
Packaged: 2018-08-28 22:43:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,540
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8465755
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fandomshere_fandomsthere/pseuds/fandomshere_fandomsthere
Summary: Your soulmate is supposed to be your other half. The person you want to spend your life with. The person you love more than anything in the world. Is it possible, then, to have more than one?





	1. Two

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first fic I've written that has polyamory! I don't have any first hand with experience it, so if there's something I write that isn't right, please please tell me! I want to make sure I portray it as realistically as I can! <3
> 
> There's a little mild sexual stuff towards the end, but nothing explicit!

            The almost unbearable warmth and redness of the skin that had appeared on Arin’s left wrist on his sixteenth birthday hadn’t been a surprise. He’d been expecting it—waiting for it, even. In the weeks leading up to his birthday, he’d constantly looked at his wrist, vainly hoping that his soulmark would appear earlier than normal. It had happened to a few people before, he’d heard of it, but the name on Arin’s wrist showed up right on schedule. The warmth had begun to prickle the night before his birthday, peaking around mid-afternoon and fading completely in the evening. Arin had watched as the redness faded away, revealing a name written in neat, loopy handwriting: Suzy Berhow.

            The name made his heart swell and a huge grin stretch across his face. He’d excitedly shown his family, getting congratulations, kisses on cheeks from his mother, pats on the back from his father, and excited text messages from his friends when he told them. For the next few days, Arin felt warm and content. His thumb brushed across his left wrist, and whenever he looked at Suzy’s name, he couldn’t help but smile in pure awe. He wondered what she would look like, what her laugh would sound like, what her favorite movie was, whether or not she liked dark chocolate. He was so caught up in his thoughts about her that he almost missed the burning on his hip bone.

            Arin had had rashes and bug bites and other things that itched all throughout his life, and they’d all been warm and red and uncomfortable. There was only one thing that had ever felt like the sensation just below the waistband of his boxers, but that was impossible. He already had his soulmark. He brushed off the thought and went about his days normally, thinking about Suzy, going to school, doodling in his notes, and doing homework. The only times he thought about the all-too-familiar warmth was when he got out of the shower and saw the angry redness in the mirror above the sink.

            Three days after it started, the redness vanished. That morning when Arin got out of the shower, his gaze darted to his hip as he’d grown used to doing. This time he did a double-take, staring at his hip with wide eyes and a churning deep in his stomach. It couldn’t be right. There was no way. He looked down, shaking fingers manipulating his skin so he could see it more clearly.

            Daniel Avidan.

            Arin’s heart pounded in his chest, his mind moving just as fast, shouting questions, the dull roar of panic and confusion rumbling in the background. He already had a soulmate. A week ago, he’d learned her name, which had appeared on the normal spot on the normal day after the normal length of time. This name written in messy scrawl across his skin couldn’t possibly be right. A mistake. There had to be a mistake. Despite his rationalization, Arin’s hands were shaking. He took a deep breath to steady himself and got dressed, pushing his anxiousness down.

            A mistake. That’s all this was.

* * *

 

            “Hey Dad?” Arin said as he sat at the breakfast table, poking at his eggs with his fork.

            “Hm?” Lloyd replied, pushing his own eggs around in the frying pan.

            “Can someone have more than one soulmate?”

            Lloyd glanced over his shoulder at Arin. “I don’t think so. Why?”

            “A few of my friends and I were talking about it.” Arin stabbed the yolk, watching it leak onto his plate. “What if someone had more than one soulmark?”

            The room was silent for a moment save for the light sizzling of eggs in the frying pan. Arin took a bite of his breakfast, swallowing it down despite his nausea. It tasted like nothing.

            “I’ve never heard of that happening before,” Lloyd said, breaking the silence. “I don’t think it could. But if it did…” His voice trailed off, and he shrugged. “Maybe that person _would_ have two soulmates.”

            Arin nodded. The conversation didn’t make him feel any better. He’d told himself that Daniel Avidan meant nothing, that there was no way he could have more than one soulmate, but he’d proved himself wrong. After the second day, curiosity got the better of him, and he’d looked more closely at his second soulmark. The messy handwriting made it look like Dan was in a rush to write down everything going through his mind as quickly as possible. Arin had started calling Daniel “Dan” in his head, just like he called Suzy “Suze” sometimes. Dan’s name gave Arin the same feelings that Suzy’s did: affection and longing and curiosity.

            The one thing Dan gave him that Suzy didn’t was guilt.

* * *

 

            Arin met Suzy when he was eighteen; two years, one week, and five days after her name had appeared on his wrist. She was better than anything he could have imagined. Beautiful, with clear green eyes and a perfect smile and long black hair. Funny, with a dark sense of humor. She was also someone who could laugh until there were tears leaking out of her eyes at a dick joke like Arin could. Sweet, running her fingers through Arin’s hair and whispering words of comfort as she hugged him when he needed her. Arin had never loved anyone more than he loved her. He’d felt something stirring deep inside of him when they’d met at the convention center, and the way all of the air left his lungs when she introduced herself had confirmed his suspicions.

            Needless to say, he felt incredibly guilty that there was another name etched into his skin.

            Arin did what he’d always done and pushed the guilt down. He wouldn’t allow it to interfere with his relationship with Suzy. He loved her too much. And he knew that she loved him. Sometimes when they were curled up together on his couch, watching a movie or an anime or something that Arin wasn’t really watching (how could he when he had the most beautiful thing he’d ever laid eyes on on his lap with her head pillowed on his shoulder?), Arin would brush his thumb over her left wrist, looking at his own name in his own rounded handwriting. It always quieted his thoughts, reminding him that Suzy was the only one who mattered. She was the one he loved, the one he wanted to spend the rest of his life with, his other half, his soulmate, his _everything._ Dan was no one. He was just a name. Arin would press a kiss to Suzy’s hair, her temple, her cheek, anywhere he could reach until she was giggling and pushing him off, complaining that she was trying to watch something.

            For a while, those were the only times Dan had any effect on Arin and Suzy’s relationship. It happened to be a good one.

            That changed the first time they had sex.

            Arin hadn’t stopped kissing Suzy this time. He’d moved from her jaw to her neck, his short facial hair scratching her skin, drawing shivers and shaky breaths out of her. She shifted in his lap so she was straddling him, the movie playing in the background, forgotten. Suzy let out a quiet moan when Arin’s hands went under her shirt and slid up her waist, and Arin’s cock twitched in response. He wanted to make her make that sound again. Louder. Breathier. He wanted his name on her lips, sweat dripping down her forehead, face flushed and eyes screwed shut with pleasure.

            He got what he wanted, or at least part of it, when his thumbs brushed over her nipples through the thin material of her bra. Suzy gasped his name, her breath stuttering, arching into his touch. Arin was already half hard—she was just so beautiful, her skin was so soft, the feeling of her nails digging into his shoulders was so good, the feeling of her trembling on top of him was so fucking _good._ He reached for the clasp of her bra when she shifted on top of him, her thigh brushing that spot on his hip, and he remembered.

            Arin swallowed, splaying his hands on Suzy’s lower back. “Suze?”

            “Yeah?” she breathed, looking at him with lust-darkened eyes.

            “I-I need to tell you something.” He tried not to let his voice shake. He really did.

            “Baby, what’s wrong?” Suzy’s brow was furrowed in concern, one hand gently holding his cheek. Arin loved her so much it hurt.

            “I have more than one name.”

            “What?”

            “On my hip. I have another soulmark. It’s not just your name. I’m sorry Suze. I’m so sorry.” His eyes were filled with tears, and he mentally cursed himself.

            “Arin—” Suzy began.

            “Don’t think it means I don’t love you,” Arin said, cutting her off. “Because I do. _Fuck,_ Suzy, I love you _so much._ I don’t know what I’d do without you—”

            “Arin,” Suzy said again, placing a finger over his lips. “Calm down. It’s okay.”

            “You’re not mad?” Arin whispered. Suzy smiled and brushed a lock of hair behind his ear.

            “Of course not, doofus. You can’t control who you love,” she said. “And besides…I have two too.”

            Arin’s eyes widened. “Y-you do?”

            “Do you want to see?”

            He hesitated. “Only if you want me to.”

             “You’re going to eventually, and of course I want you to. I don’t want there to be secrets between us.” She took off her shirt, and Arin swallowed thickly. Her skin was so pale and smooth and soft looking and he wanted to run his hands all over it and kiss it—

            “Arin,” Suzy repeated. He snapped his gaze up, blushing.

            “S-sorry,” he said sheepishly. She smirked slightly and rolled her eyes before taking one of his hands and guiding it to the right side of her ribcage, covering the soulmark. Arin moved his hand out of the way, looking at the name etched on the curve of her ribs: Daniel Avidan. His jaw dropped.

            “What?” Suzy asked.

            “It’s the same as mine,” Arin murmured, rubbing over the familiar messy scrawl with the pad of his thumb.

            “Really?” She sounded as shocked as he felt.

            “Yeah,” he said. Their eyes met, and Arin burst out laughing. Suzy joined in, and they sat there on the couch, holding each other tightly, foreheads pressed together, laughing hysterically. Arin was so relieved that he felt lightheaded.

            “Why—why are we laughing?” Suzy asked between gulps of air, her shoulders still shaking with mirth.

            “I’m so damn happy,” Arin said. “God, I thought—I don’t know what I thought.” He sighed happily and looked up at her, eyes shining and smile practically glowing. “What do you think it means?”

            “Polyamory maybe?” Suzy guessed. “I don’t know. Whatever it is, I’m glad I’m not going to lose you.” She pressed her forehead against his again and closed her eyes.

            “Me too,” Arin murmured. They sat there for a long moment, taking comfort in each other’s presence. He ran his warm hands up and down her back, and she shivered. Arin smirked. “Want to pick up where we left off?”

            “Please,” Suzy said. Arin grinned and undid the clasp of her bra.


	2. None

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is in no way accurate to any sort of timeline that exists in this world, and I apologize for that. I hope it's still enjoyable though!

             Dan didn’t have a soulmate. No name appeared when he turned sixteen. Not even a single letter appeared on his wrist. He’d waited for days, weeks, _months—_ but there was nothing. He’d heard of this happening before. Blank wrists could be explained three ways: you never had a soulmate in the first place, your soulmate died before you turned sixteen, or your soulmate was much younger than you when you turned sixteen. In the third case, you would get your soulmark when your soulmate did. Some people had to wait years.

             After eight years, Dan had given up hope of ever having a soulmate. He told himself he didn’t care. He had many short relationships with many different girls. This was better than having a soulmate, he reasoned. If you had a soulmate, you’d be tied down. The spark would fade after a while and you’d want to be with someone else. Without a mark on his wrist, he was free. He could date whoever he wanted, look at the asses of whoever he wanted, kiss whoever he wanted, sleep with whoever he wanted. It was better. He didn’t have restrictions. He was happy. He didn’t feel lonely when he saw Brian’s arm casually slung around Rachel’s shoulders. He wasn’t bitter when he saw people much younger than him walking down the street holding hands, obviously in love. He wasn’t bugged by the pitying look people gave him when they saw his blank wrist.

             Dan didn’t care at all.

             In the January of the eighth year since sixteenth birthday, when Dan was twenty-four, his wrist began to burn. He thought nothing of it—he’d slipped on the last few stairs leading to the first floor of his apartment building earlier that day and scraped his wrist on the edge of one of them as he fell. He’d never had a scrape burn like this before, though. When he brought his other hand to the redness, he had to flinch away from how warm it was. Dan sighed with the realization that he probably had an infection of some sort. He went to the bathroom and put some Neosporin on it and didn’t think about it for the rest of the day.

             The next day, Dan met with Brian to brainstorm some ideas for the name of a band they wanted to start. Dan made the short walk to Brian’s apartment, bundled up against the cold, his breath forming clouds in front of him. Winter was his favorite time of year. It was cold enough to wear sleeves long enough to cover his wrists. It gave him a break from the pity that always appeared in people’s eyes when they saw the blankness of his wrist. He knocked on the door and was greeted warmly by Rachel. She gave him a hug and he came inside, stomping the snow off of his boots and hanging his coat up on a peg by the door. Brian was sitting at the small table in the kitchen, a small pile of crumpled-up pieces of paper in a garbage can next to him. Dan sat down across from him and took a pen out of his pocket.

             “Any luck so far?” Dan asked.

             “Nope,” Brian replied. “All of them just sound stupid.”

             “That’s not necessarily a bad thing,” Dan said. “It is a comedy band after all.”

             “Too stupid even for a comedy band about dicks,” Brian clarified.

             Dan laughed. “It’s not _just_ about dicks, Brian. Ladies are important too. And remember that song we wrote about dinosaurs and lasers?”

             “All too well,” Brian said dryly. “We are _not_ saying Albert Einstein invented space.”

             “Oh come on! It just adds to the fact that what we’re saying is ridiculous!”

             Brian sighed. “Fine.”

             Dan grinned and pushed up his long sleeves, tearing off a piece of paper from Brian’s notepad and tapping it thoughtfully with his pen. “Great! Now I know you were opposed to ‘Hot Jew and Psychotic Ninja Who’ll Stab Your Fucking Face,’ but I think it’s catchy. The acronym’s easy to remember too: HJPSNWSYF. Rolls right off the tongue.” When he didn’t get a response from Brian, not even a sarcastic remark or sigh, he looked up. Brian was staring at the hand Dan was holding his pen with. More specifically, he was staring at his wrist. Dan’s grin faltered.

             “What?” he asked defensively.

             “Your wrist,” Brian said.

             Dan frowned and tugged his sleeves back down. “I fell down the stairs yesterday.”

             “No, Dan,” Brian said, grabbing Dan’s wrist and pushing his sleeve back up. “That’s not it. You’re getting your soulmark.”

             “What?” Dan gaped at him. “No, dude, I don’t have a soulmate. But thanks for bringing it up.” He tried to tug his wrist out of Brian’s grip, but his friend held fast.

             “Apparently you do,” Brian said, grinning. “The only time a rash or something gets this hot is when it’s your soulmark.”

             “…Really?” Dan whispered. Brian nodded, and he couldn’t help the stinging in his eyes or the tightness of his throat. He’d believed that there was no one out there meant for him for years. He’d waited eight _fucking_ years, eight years of loneliness and empty relationships, and now he was finally going to have a chance to find his soulmate.

             He felt like a teenager again.

             Two more days passed, and Dan could hardly stand it. It didn’t make much sense to him—he should have been used to waiting by now, but he constantly looked at his wrist. The burning got even hotter, to the point where it almost hurt, but he dealt with it. Neosporin helped, and so did ice, and he didn’t have to deal with it for long. The burning had almost completely vanished, along with most of the redness. Dan stared at his wrist for hours, watching as it faded back to his regular color, his heart pounding as lettering began to take shape. Finally, _finally,_ the words appeared on his wrist. Arin Hanson.

             …Arin?

             That was a guy’s name, wasn’t it? Dan’s brow furrowed as he looked at the rounded handwriting of his soulmark. Arin. That could be a girl’s name. He’d met a few Erins in his lifetime—but their names started with Es, not As. Dan traced the lines of his soulmark with his index finger, thinking. He was straight. He knew he was. But he couldn’t ignore the giddiness and affection he felt when he looked at his wrist. Maybe he was a little gay. In fact, the more he thought about it, the more he realized that he’d always appreciated both the male and female population.

             So, not gay, but maybe bi. Or maybe Arin was the one exception to Dan being straight. He shook his head and ran his hand through his hair to clear his mind. His gaze still hadn’t left his wrist, but the crease in his brow had smoothed out, and the smile that pulled at his lips was wide. Male or female, he had a soulmate. He had someone out there who would love him and who he would love in return. He wasn’t going to be alone, bouncing between girls for the rest of his life.

             For the first time in a long while, Dan felt hope.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just realized that this is my twentieth work on AO3! I want to thank everyone who's ever read any of my stories, and that includes YOU! Yes, you. Not the person sitting next to you. You specifically. Everyone who has interacted with me has been beyond lovely and supportive. I'm so thankful for you guys. Y'all keep me motivated to keep writing and give me confidence to keep posting! I plan to keep writing in the future, and I can't wait to see what comes next! <3 Thank you all so much!!


	3. Move

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is kinda short and mostly dialogue. I hope it's okay ;-;

            Six years had passed since Dan got his soulmark. Since then, his life had started to look up. He and Brian had started their band, which they called Ninja Sex Party. It had started out small, their music videos only getting a few hundred views, but over time it had grown. They kept churning out songs, and people kept watching and subscribing to the band’s channel, and soon enough they were selling their first album on iTunes. Dan had never felt more happy and hopeful for the future.

            Two years after Dan got his soulmark, however, something had happened that had confused him greatly. He’d been scrolling through Reddit one day when he’d felt a familiar prickling heat on his arm. He’d ignored it at first, figuring he just had a rash or something, but then the heat had doubled. A few days later, he had another name on his skin written in loopy cursive. Suzy Berhow. He’d mentioned it to Brian, who had shrugged and told him he had no idea what it meant, if anything. Dan shrugged it off as well, not making a big deal about it, and trying not to think about how Arin and Suzy’s names made him feel just as giddy. Aside from that, everything was perfect, or as close as it got without his soulmate in his life.

            Dan was sitting on his couch, surrounded by papers with scribbled lyrics on them, staring down at a notebook that had a song title and a few words written on the first page, but nothing more. He clicked and unclicked his pen repeatedly in thought, eyes narrowing at the paper, as if intimidating it would give him inspiration. He nearly jumped out of his skin when his phone vibrated on the coffee table. A picture of him with his arms wrapped around Brian’s neck from behind and Brian flipping off the camera showed up on the screen as it continued to rattle on the polished wood surface.

            “Hey Brian,” Dan said, answering the phone and putting it up to his ear. “What’s up?”

            “I need to talk to you,” Brian said.

            “Well, obviously,” Dan snorted. “Why else would you be calling me?”

            “It’s about the band.”

            Dan looked up from the notebook, the pen stopped mid-click. “…What about it?”

            Brian sighed. “Dan, you know how much I love doing it, right?”

            “Yeah?” In his hesitation, Dan said it more like a question than a statement. “What are you getting at here?”

            “I got a job offer from the University of Southern California. They want me to teach physics.”

            “Really?” Dan grinned despite the sinking feeling in his stomach. “That’s awesome! Holy shit! You’re gonna take it, right?”

            “You’re okay with it?” Brian said incredulously. “This’ll mean we won’t be able to do Ninja Sex Party anymore. Or not as regularly at least.”

            “I know,” Dan said. “But I know that it isn’t exactly the best source of income either. It’s fine for me, but you’ve got a wife man. And don’t you want a kid at some point?”

            “Yeah,” Brian replied. “I guess I was just expecting you to freak out more.”

            “Oh, don’t get me wrong, it sucks that we won’t be able to do NSP anymore,” Dan admitted. “But I don’t want you to let me hold you back.”

            “Thanks Dan,” Brian said. “Really.”

            “No problem Bri,” Dan said with a smile.

            “I wish I didn’t have to give up NSP,” Brian sighed. “I’m going to miss pretending to stab people.”

            Dan thought for a long moment, staring at the blank television screen across from him. “You might not have to give it up.”

            “What?”  
  
            “That university is in LA right? What if I just moved out there with you?”

            “Seriously? You’d be moving across the country!”

            Dan grinned. “If it means I get to keep dancing around in blue spandex and singing about dicks, it’ll be worth it.”

            “I thought you said it wasn’t _just_ about dicks,” Brian said. Dan laughed.

            “Well, even if that’s not all NSP is about, it’s part of it,” he said. He glanced over at his laptop, which was sitting next to him. “I should probably start looking for apartments.”

            “You’re nuts,” Brian muttered.

            “What about my nuts Brian?”

            “Do you want me to read that story about me giving you a blowjob again?”

            “Please don’t.”

            “Then shut up.”

            Dan grinned. “Love you too. Talk later.” Brian bid him goodbye, and he hung up. Dan dropped his phone on the couch and pulled his laptop on his lap, opening it as he went. His leg bounced impatiently as he waited for the screen to turn on.

            He was excited. It was true that dropping everything and deciding to move out of nowhere probably wasn’t the best idea, but he saw it as something spontaneous. Adventurous, even. He’d get to keep doing the thing he loved and travel to a new place. And, of course, there was the possibility that he’d meet his soulmate in Los Angeles or somewhere along the way. Dan was grinning with excitement when he started apartment hunting.

            That grin had disappeared a few hours later. Apartments in LA turned out to be expensive—a little too expensive for Dan’s budget. He’d have to get a roommate to balance things out. He couldn’t live with Brian and Rachel, so he opted to look for someone else. He typed “la roommate ad” into Google, clicking through various websites before he found an advertisement that caught his attention.

_Looking for a roommate who won’t mind me playing video games sometimes and who will watch Game of Thrones with me. It wouldn’t hurt if you knew how to cook something more than ramen noodles either. 2 br 1 ba apartment in Glendale. Contact info:_

_Barry Kramer (818) 867-5309_

            Dan picked up his phone as soon as he read “Game of Thrones.” He dialed the number with a grin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter is going to be the last one! It's going to be much longer than this, and I hope it ends the fic nicely! <3


	4. Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is--the last chapter. This one's a doozy! It's almost 2,500 words!! Normally that might be too long, but it didn't feel right to break it up. This is one of my favorite stories I've done. I hope y'all like it! <3

            A month later, Dan had moved in with Barry, a man who was much shorter than he sounded and who had a goofy demeanor and a passionate opinion about the fact that Mewtwo should be 151 in the Pokédex due to the fact he was made from Mew DNA. Dan, who didn’t really understand Pokémon, just nodded in agreement with him, and Barry seemed satisfied with that. He was a great roommate; he always let Dan in when he forgot his keys, ordered pizza if one of them had a shit day, and even told Dan he’d be more than willing to be in a Ninja Sex Party video if they needed him. Dan was glad to have him around. Living alone for so long had been more lonely than he’d realized.

            “Hey,” Barry said one day, about a month after Dan had moved in. They were both sitting on the couch on their laptops. “Do you mind if a couple of my friends come over this weekend? They’ve been in Japan for a month and it’ll be good to see them again.”

            “Not at all man,” Dan said, smiling. “It’ll be good to meet some new people. And they can’t be as bad as Ross.”

            “Hey,” Barry said, punching his arm lightly but grinning. “I know he can be an asshole, but he’s not _that_ bad.”

            “I know,” Dan chuckled. “I just can’t stand his damn Mario Maker levels.”

            “I know how you feel about that,” Barry said. “Arin hates them too.”

            Dan inhaled sharply through his nose. He looked at Barry over the frames of his glasses, his heart pounding hard against his ribs. “Who’s Arin?”

            “Oh duh, you haven’t met him yet,” Barry said. “He’s one of my friends coming over on Saturday. I think you’ll like him.”

_You have no idea,_ Dan thought. He nodded and turned his gaze back to the computer screen, hoping his excitement didn’t show too clearly on his face. His wrist seemed to tingle under his long sleeves.

            Saturday couldn’t come fast enough.

* * *

 

            The week dragged by so slowly that Dan felt like he was going to tear his hair out. He tried to write some lyrics to a Ninja Sex Party song he and Brian were working on, but all he could think about was Arin. There was no guarantee that it was _his_ Arin, but he could hope, and hope he did. When Barry asked him why he was so fidgety, he blamed it on stress from writer’s block. It was partly true, and Barry didn’t question it. Dan felt a little bad for lying to him, but he didn’t want his roommate knowing who his soulmate was just yet in case he was wrong.

            Saturday finally came. Dan paced around his room all morning, trying to calm his nerves. He took a shower and spent a little more time trying to tame his wild hair than usual. He wanted to make a good impression, even if the man he was going to meet today wasn’t his soulmate. Barry made a joking remark about it that Dan didn’t quite catch, but he laughed and swatted his roommate’s shoulder anyway. They watched a movie that Dan wasn’t paying attention to while they waited for their guests to arrive. Dan’s stomach clenched when there was a knock at the door. Barry turned off the TV and stood up to answer it.

            “Barry!” a man’s voice said from the doorway.

            “Arin!” Barry replied, throwing his arms in the air. “Come in man!”

            Dan’s heart skipped a beat when Arin walked in, and he swallowed thickly. Arin was gorgeous. Straight, shoulder-length light brown hair with a blonde streak on one side, a little goatee of the same color, warm brown eyes, a white smile, strong looking arms. Dan bit the inside of his lip as his gaze travelled slowly down the other man’s form. God, he was lucky.

            “Where’s Suzy?” Barry asked as he closed the door behind Arin.

            “She’s on her way up,” Arin said. He glanced over at Dan, who snapped his eyes up, a faint blush spreading across his cheeks.

            “Oh! Arin, this is my roommate Dan,” Barry said. Dan smiled and stood up, holding his hand out to Arin.

            “Nice to meet you,” Arin said with a smile and a shake of Dan’s hand. “I’m Arin Hanson.”

            Dan felt like his knees were going to give out. “Dan Avidan,” he managed to say, a nervous smile spreading across his features. His skin felt like it was on fire from where their hands were connected. Arin’s eyes widened ever so slightly, and his eyebrows shot up. Dan bit his lip. What was he supposed to do now? Just as he opened his mouth to say something else, there was another knock at the door.

            “Hey Suzy!” Barry greeted as he answered. Dan looked over at the doorway, and his heart skipped again. The most beautiful woman he’d ever seen was smiling at Barry as they pulled out of a hug, her hands gripping his biceps lightly. Dan noticed that Arin had let go of his hand.

            “It’s so good to see you, Barry,” Suzy said. Dan blinked as it finally dawned on him what her name was. He absentmindedly touched his second soulmark through his sleeve. He glanced between Arin and Suzy, noticing the matching blonde streak in their hair. They didn’t look similar enough to be related. Maybe they were just really good friends. Maybe it was a coincidence.

            “Dan?” Barry said suddenly, snapping Dan out of his thoughts. He looked up from the ground and saw Suzy standing in front of him, hand in the air.

            “Oh, uh, sorry,” Dan stuttered. He shook her hand. “I’m Dan Avidan.”

            Suzy reacted the same way that Arin did, her expression almost identical. She glanced over at Arin, something seeming to pass between them silently. Dan looked between them when he realized. The matching blonde streaks. The cold metal he’d felt on both of their hands. They were married.

            He was a homewrecker.

            Dan let go of Suzy’s hand and took a step back, shoving his hands in his pockets. He tried to swallow, but his throat was too tight. Barry looked at him, concern in his gaze. Dan couldn’t meet his eyes; he stared at the wall over his roommate’s shoulder instead, silently willing the tears that he felt stinging his eyes to stay down. He jumped when he felt a small hand on his arm, and his gaze snapped down. Suzy was smiling up at him softly.

            “Calm down,” she soothed. “It’s okay.”

            “Can you give us a minute?” Arin asked, turning to Barry.

            “Uh, sure,” he said hesitantly. “I’ll just…be in here.” He scurried into the kitchen, casting a confused glance over his shoulder.

            “Fuck,” Dan cursed once Barry was out of sight. “Fuck, fuck, _fuck._ ” He backed up again, pulling his arm out of Suzy’s grip, and sat on the couch, his head in his hands.

            “Dan—” Arin began.

            “You know don’t you?” Dan said as he scrubbed his face with his hands, his stubble scratching his palms. “It was probably written all over my face. Jesus. I can’t believe you’re _married._ God, I’m terrible. I’m so sorry.” He looked up at Arin and Suzy, his vision blurry with tears.

            “Don’t be,” Arin said. He sat down next to Dan and rubbed firm circles into the lanky man’s back. “It’s not something any of us can control.”

            Dan laughed bitterly. “The universe must really _fucking_ hate me. First I don’t get a soulmark until eight years after I’m supposed to, and then the people who are both of my soulmarks are fucking _married_ to each other.”

            “Wait—you have both of us?” Suzy asked.

            Dan nodded miserably. He held his head in his hands again, fingers buried in his hair and digging into his scalp. This hurt more than anything he could have imagined. He wanted his wrist to be blank again. Not having a soulmate would be better than having _two_ who couldn’t possibly love him back.

            “Dan,” Suzy said gently, stroking his hair with one hand. “Look at me.”

            Dan did as he was told. Despite the pain he felt, he couldn’t help being blown away by her beauty. Her eyes were so soft, filled with—he didn’t know, actually.

            “We’ve been wondering when we were going to meet you,” Suzy said. Her soft hands held Dan’s jaw, one of her thumbs brushing over his cheekbone. “We both have two soulmarks too.”

            “Wh-what?” Dan stuttered.

            “Mine’s on my hip, and Suzy’s is on her ribcage,” Arin said. “They both have your name.”

            Dan looked at him with wide eyes. “What does it mean?”

            Arin shrugged. “At first we weren’t really sure, but now I think we both know what it is. Do you know what polyamory is?”

            Dan nodded. “Yeah, but…you’re married. Are you sure I won’t fuck it up somehow?”

            “We’ve talked about it a lot,” Suzy said. “If we all have soulmarks of each other’s names, it has to be right. And I don’t know about Arin, but I think you’re really cute.”

            “I second that,” Arin said with a grin.

            Heat rushed into Dan’s cheeks. He looked at both of his soulmates for a long moment, searching for any sort of deception or jealousy, but he didn’t find any. He only saw love and concern in their eyes, and his heart swelled. He’d only just met Arin and Suzy, but he already knew that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with them. Tears sprang to his eyes again, rolling down his cheeks this time as he wrapped his soulmates in his arms, holding them as close to him as he could. Arin laughed and held Dan back tightly, one hand buried in his curly hair and his head tucked into the crook between Dan’s neck and shoulder. Suzy buried her face in his chest, hands running up and down his back.

            “I’ve been waiting so fucking long for you,” Dan whispered, his voice shaking.

            “Sorry,” Arin mumbled. Dan shook his head and held them tighter, shivering as Arin’s breath ghosted across his neck. Dan closed his eyes tightly and buried his nose in Suzy’s hair, and she giggled. He smiled into the top of her head and ran one hand down Arin’s back, letting out a content sigh. A comfortable silence hung over them.

            “Barry’s still in the kitchen isn’t he?” Suzy said after a moment.

            “Oh, shit, yeah,” Dan said.

            “I’ll go get him,” Arin said. He pressed a kiss to Dan’s cheek just before he stood up, smirking when the older man blushed.

            “You’re so cute,” Suzy cooed.

            “Shut up,” Dan groaned, pulling her closer.

* * *

 

            “You’re gonna make me live all by myself,” Barry whined.

            “I’m hardly here anymore anyway Bear,” Dan said. “Now help me get these last couple boxes.” Barry sighed dramatically and grabbed two heavy boxes, stacking them one on top of the other and lifting them with ease. Dan rolled his eyes but smiled, and they headed to the elevator.

            Two years had passed since he’d met Arin and Suzy, and in that time, he’d fallen more deeply in love with them than he thought was possible. It hadn’t been perfect at first—they sometimes got jealous if one person was spending a lot of time with another, but they worked around it. Their relationship still wasn’t perfect, but it made Dan the happiest he’d ever been. He couldn’t imagine life without either of them, and he had a hard time sleeping if at least one of them wasn’t next to him. Even then, it was a little difficult. Nothing felt better than having both of his soulmates around.

            “Are you really going to be that lonely?” Dan asked as he opened the back door of his car.

            “I’ll be fine,” Barry said. He put both of his boxes in the back seat and took Dan’s out of his hands. “I’m really happy for you. Honest.”

            Dan smiled warmly. “Thanks.” They got in the car, Dan in the driver’s seat and Barry in the passenger.

            “You’d better still come over and watch Game of Thrones on Sundays though,” Barry warned. Dan laughed and pulled out of his parking spot and into the street. Fifteen minutes later, they parked in Arin and Suzy’s—and now Dan’s—driveway. Dan opened the back to start grabbing boxes while Barry walked up to the door. Dan stood up, a box in his thin arms, and was startled when he turned around to have Arin standing right in front of him.

            “Jesus Christ, big cat,” Dan gasped. “Warn a guy will you?”

            “Nice to see you too,” Arin said with a grin. He leaned forward to catch Dan’s lips in a soft kiss. Dan closed his eyes, mentally shaking his head at his boyfriend. When Arin pulled away, Dan noticed his arms had gotten significantly lighter.

            “Hey!” Dan said, reaching for the box, only to have Arin pull it just out of his reach.

            “Just shut up and let me help,” Arin said.

            Dan huffed and crossed his arms tightly across his chest. “Fine.”

            “You can hardly lift anything anyway, you string bean,” Barry teased, his arms full with two boxes.

            “At least let me do _something_ guys!” Dan whined.

            “Go say hello to our girlfriend,” Arin said.

            “Technically she’s your wife and _my_ girlfriend,” Dan said.

            “I know. But it just feels nice to call her that.” Arin shrugged.

            Dan grinned. “I know.” He went into the house and promptly tripped over Mochi, who was rubbing up against his legs and purring loudly. Dan crouched down and scratched the cat behind his ears.

            “Don’t expect him to ever stop doing that,” Suzy said. “He’s always in the way.”

            “Oh, I know,” Dan said as he stood back up. He leaned down to kiss her. She hummed against his lips and rested her hands on his chest.

            “Hi,” Suzy said with a smile.

            “Hey Scuze,” Dan replied, brushing a few stray hairs out of her face. Arin and Barry walked in, laden down with the few boxes of Dan’s things, and put them on the floor in a corner of the living room.

            “There’s one last thing. I’ll grab it,” Barry said, and he walked outside.

            “Subtle,” Dan remarked. Arin laughed and put one arm around both of his partners’ shoulders.

            “I’m glad you’re moving in with us,” Arin said to Dan, squeezing his shoulder. “It’ll really feel like home now.” Suzy nodded.

            Dan smiled and held both of them close. “I love both of you so much,” he sighed.

            “We love you too,” Suzy said. “Welcome home, Dan.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If I take a long time to respond to your comment, it's not that I don't appreciate it. I just have to take a while to think of what to say, and sometimes I'm so overwhelmed by how lovely you all are that I can't think of anything to say except "thank you." I love and appreciate every single comment that I get. <3


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